Running into Uncertainty and the Courage to Keep Going
How did I find myself here again? A question I've asked over and over, and keep coming back to.
Oftentimes in life and business, we find ourselves somewhere we never imagined we'd be. As a woman turning 33 this year, I imagined life would look a bit different. It's important to mention that different doesn't mean better or worse...it just means different.
Over the years I've experienced a fair amount of change, transition, and pivots. Some tell me my cognitive and emotional agility is admirable. And yet I often sit with the question of what am I doing? I think a lot of us find ourselves here.
By a certain age, the world has opinions about where and what you should be. And as an athlete, I do ponder whether performance pressure ever leaves or just takes new forms. But through life adversity and with the help of trusted mentors, I've also learned to ask myself new questions. What do you think of you? Who are you outside of what you can achieve?
Deep within each and every one of us is inherent worth and immeasurable value.
Attention and Intention
Over the last several years I've slowly deleted social media platforms, and each time it felt like removing something that had become an extension of me.
A friend recently asked what changed in my day-to-day since I deleted Instagram. That kind of question says everything about how much these platforms embed themselves into our lives. But when thinking about it, two words came to mind: attention and intention.
Am I present to this moment? (Attention) Why am I doing this? (Intention)
How much does that shift my experience? How much more joy do I find when I'm truly participating in what I love, rather than feeling the pressure to perform it?
I can't just find out about an event or meetup via IG, I actually have to call or text a friend to confirm...What a concept ☀️
A more honest question starts to surface... what do I actually love doing? Do I love it, or do I love telling the world I do? Maybe it's a bit of both and. The irony isn't lost on me...I take a lot of photos, and make a lot of albums. But as I engage in spaces and places, one thing I want to be is fully where I am.
Which brings me back to the question underneath all of this: what happens when you find yourself in a place of not knowing what's next? Career, personal, both... and? How do you stay present and keep going?
The unknown has a way of humbling you and expanding you.
Even within circumstantial uncertainty, there are opportunities to become anchored, and to receive the gift of whatever is unfolding. I keep coming back to something my friend Rosie Popa OAM OLY recently shared on her Substack:
“It’s taken a while to get here, but maybe a good way to look at it is that not all of these worlds are disconnected or different islands within us, but just particular parts we can tap into when the time is right. Life is really reminding me that we can have it all, but just know we can't have it all at the same time.”
As I reflect on this, I'm reminded that the unknown is a little easier to run into when you're not running alone. The people alongside us, the ones you actually get to call and text, to check in with and show up with in real life...they make the journey all the more worth it. 💌